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Dell announce wheat straw packaging boxes

Added on 17 Jul, 2013 by Helen Fletton.
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Computer manufacturer Dell have announced that they intend to incorporate
wheat straw into their packaging, in an effort to achieve 100% waste-free
packaging by 2020. Now before all wheat allergy sufferers throw their hands up
in horror, it may not be a problem in reality.

Dell's sustainable packaging initiative aim is to ensure that 100% of their
packaging is sourced from sustainable materials, including recyclable or
rapidly renewable content. And to ensure that 100% of all packaging is
recyclable or compostable at the end of its life. Currently the company is
more than 50% towards this goal.

As part of this strategy the company are using wheat straw in its cardboard
boxes for products originating in China. This is because Chinese farmers burn
wheat straw for disposal, which contributes to air pollution, so re-using it
will reduce this environmentally harmful process.

Initially only 15% wheat straw will be used, but this percentage will be
ramped up over time. The remainder of the box will be from recycled content.
Wheat straw will be pulped using a low energy, low water enzyme process to
"digest" the material. The resulting pulp is mixed with other recycled fibre
to create the new packaging.

Dell says that the boxes will still look and perform the same as regular
cardboard, and they will be completely recyclable at disposal.

While this is an interesting way to make packaging more sustainable, it does
raise the issue of whether this will this affect people with wheat allergies.
Okay, so I know that we don't usually eat the boxes, but we do touch them.
Will other manufacturers, maybe of food products, also make this move? Perhaps
the enzymatic process removes all traces of wheat protein, it's not something
that has been reported on yet, so it may not actually be an issue to worry
about after all.